Category: Uncategorized
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Farewell Friesland
The Dutch naval patrol ship visiting at the south side of Pier 88 made an early departure with an assist from a McCallister tug. By the end of the day she was motoring east at 15 knots, signaling a return to the Netherlands on AIS after spending the past 3 months on patrol in the…
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The story of Teresa
When we published our article The barges (and other big boats) in your backyard in the West Side Rag a few weeks ago, a number readers indicated they wanted to know more about the tug/barge combination that was anchored in the river at around 94th Street for many weeks on end. It seems some residents…
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Spring at last (again)
Rainy skies in the morning gave way to a glorious afternoon with temperatures in the 70s. The fire boat William Feehan was back in the river doing what looked like recovery drills off Pier i, with a man in the water and a life ring. Later, the NYPD’s 62’ harbor launch the P.O. Harry R…
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Still cold
It does not feel like spring yet, with temperatures below 50 and tough northwest wind. The anchorages looked strangely empty Sunday morning with the Teresa having left us, though Curtis Reinauer would arrive and anchor in the afternoon. The Vane Brothers’ Fort McHenry pushed a loaded barge from Linden NJ heading upriver in the morning.…
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Vale Teresa!
Teresa has left the building. The tug/barge combination that has been anchored in the North River for several months pulled up its hook at around midday and headed to sea, currently moving south down the Jersey Shore with no clear destination signaled on AIS. The reasons for the Teresa’s extended residence were never completely clear,…
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Spring at last?
Thursday ended with heavy rain, fog and lightening, but skies cleared Friday and temperatures rose. There was a lot of activity on the river, both commercial and recreational and I was able to get on the river myself for the first time in months, though not with much time for photography. I was happy to…
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More rain
A low pressure system has camped out over New York, sucking in moisture and rain for a second day. There was a bit of northbound traffic worth noting in the morning. The Janice Ann Reinauer came through with a loaded barge from Bayonne heading to Newburgh. Captain Dann came through pulling a large Weeks Marine…
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Some less frequent visitors
Northeast winds and intermittent rain arrived on Wednesday and anchorages have filled up again somewhat ahead of more bad weather tomorrow, though with AT/Bs less frequently seen on the North River. Cape Lookout arrived early with an empty barge from Providence and dropped anchor at around 70th Street and was later joined by Adeline Marie…
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Home alone
Lots of activity on the river Tuesday as winds calmed and temperatures were at least stable. The tug Teresa, which has been anchored with its barge in the river for several months now amid operational/legal complications, made a morning departure, uncoupling from its barge and heading down to a fuel dock on the Arthur Kill…
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Heading back to work
Northeast winds brought periodic rain to the river on Sunday. The big Reinauer jamboree in the North River broke up, with Haggerty Girls making an early departure and heading for the company dock in Staten Island, Kristy Ann making a morning run down to the IMTT Terminal in Bayonne, and Dean also heading in that…
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Staying the weekend
The anchorages filled up ahead of the bad weather Thursday night and four Reinauer AT/Bs remained at anchor as the skies cleared Saturday, with the Curtis, Kristy Ann and Hagerty Girls South of the bridge and the Dean north of the bridge. The Dann Brothers’ Carolina Coast came through in the morning, towing an empty…
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The barge in your backyard
For some time I have been wanting to write an explainer article for my neighbors about the barges and tugs we see anchored along the Hudson every day. Thousands of people observe these vessels daily but most have very little idea what they are and what they do. Thanks to the West Side Rag, an…
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North of North
A trip 30 miles up the Hudson on Wednesday to Verplanck, NY, beyond the limits of the North River, found some familiar vessels. The Coast Guard Cutter Sturgeon Bay, which passed us heading north on Tuesday, was anchored near the top of Haverstraw Bay. Sitting across the river at Stony Point is an old fire…
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Look up!
Temperatures crept back above freezing on Tuesday but the biting northwest wind continued to blow keeping recreational activity on the river to a minimum and even commercial traffic was rather light. Most of the action Tuesday was in the air. A pair of Air Force C130 transports made two loops up the river. They were…
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Winter takes another bite
Sub-freezing temperatures and winds whipping out of the northwest made for unpleasant conditions to start the week and activity on the river remained light. City workers and city contractors were busy hauling away weekend detritus, as the DEP’s Red Hook hauled sludge away from the North River plant to Hunts Point for dewatering and Donjon…
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No March lamb yet
March is showing no lamb-like characteristics yet, as a wicked west wind continues to blow, temperatures are plunging and an arctic blast is expected. By the end of Sunday, snow flurries were occurring and traffic on the river was light. Dean Reinauer weighed anchor in the early hours and headed to Perth Amboy for new…
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Westerly winds
Brisk west winds brought occasional rain squalls but mostly sunny skies on Saturday. Sewage does not pause for the weekend unfortunately, and the DEP’s Red Hook continued its appointed rounds servicing the North River plant and ferrying sludge to the Hunts Point plant for dewatering. The structure visible above the middle of the tanker is…
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Back in the fog
The wind swung around to the northeast Thursday and brought in wet weather and more fog, not ideal conditions for river traffic and even less ideal for photographing river traffic. The DEP’s Red Hook sludge tanker came through early, servicing the North River sewage plant and ferrying residual solids to the Hunts Point plant for…
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Drill Baby Drill
Wednesday brought sunny skies but temperatures only in the 40s and persistently brisk winds. For most of the morning, a quartet of Coast Guard 29’ response boats was conducting drills in the river. Two of the boats had their machine guns mounted and manned in the bow. The Dean Reinauer headed up the river for…
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Landing craft find new purpose
Two repurposed landing craft passed through the North River today, apparently having found new missions in the marine construction industry. The first was under its own power and had no visible markings on the bow and was not reporting information on AIS so we cannot identify it. It appeared to be an old landing craft…
North River Notes 